


An Omega's Care

by ExtremeExhaustion



Series: A/B/O Self-Indulgent Fics (One Piece) [16]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alpha Roronoa Zoro, Alpha Vinsmoke Sanji, Crew as Family, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Everyone has trauma and issues, Fluff, Insecurity, Luffy is a good captain, Multi, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Monkey D. Luffy, Pining, Rating May Change, Self-Indulgent, Tags May Change, This is mostly Luffy taking care of his crewmates, everyone else is a beta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:15:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29133165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExtremeExhaustion/pseuds/ExtremeExhaustion
Summary: Omegas are known to be more nurturing, but the ways this manifests is what changes omega to omega. In turn, Luffy has his own ways of taking care of his crew.
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/Roronoa Zoro, Nami/Nefertari Vivi
Series: A/B/O Self-Indulgent Fics (One Piece) [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1981771
Comments: 9
Kudos: 176





	1. Care Target: Nami

**Author's Note:**

> May get pretty angsty in the future. I'll be adding chapters in between every longer fic.

Omegas seemingly made a point to take care of their pack in various ways. Luffy was no exception. He practically prided himself on it. His ability to read other people emotionally was incredible. Granted, it took a bit of time to get some of his crewmates to allow him to take care of them. Trust issues ran deep in a lot of them. It didn’t bother Luffy though. He didn’t mind waiting for his friends to open up. Still, the captain’s inner omega wanted to take care of his pack as much as possible. There was something ingrained deeply in him that drove him to take care of the people precious to him. A need to keep those he loves as safe as possible.

  


Nami was one of the most difficult crewmembers to gain the trust of. After the battle with Arlong, she opened up a bit. However, Luffy never went to find Nami when she was upset. He would wait for her to approach him. Today was an example of that. Nami had been upset all day but refused to tell anyone why. Luffy had made a point to announce that he would be working on the pack nest in the Sunny that night to everyone on the deck. Sure enough, later in the night, Nami shyly stood at the edge of the nest. Her face screamed insecurity, “Can I come in?” Luffy looked up at her with a bright smile, “Sure! Lemme just…”

  


His tongue lightly stuck out as he pulled some of the blankets up to fluff them. He sat back when he was satisfied to allow Nami to sit too. The navigator settled into the nest and immediately started to play with her hair, “Luffy, you know how I was really close with Vivi?” Luffy nodded with an affirmative hum, “Yeah, you guys were kinda like mates.” Nami jolted at that, “Wha—how did, when did you?” Luffy chuckled as he rocked back and forth, “You guys smelled like each other all the time. That’s what mates do.” The navigator promptly smacked her captain with an angry shriek, “Don’t sniff me without asking!” Luffy whined loudly, “I just wanted to make sure you were actually not sick still.”

  


Nami huffed as she crossed her arms, “You could’ve just asked Chopper if you were still worried.” The omega pouted back at her, “I wanted to do it myself.” He straightened his posture, “Why are ya’ bringing Vivi up?” The beta navigator looked away with her shyness suddenly returning, “Uh…right. So, I was hoping that we could maybe visit Alabasta to see Vivi sometime?” Luffy gained a look of realization, “You miss her.” His expression shifted into sympathy, “I missed Zoro when we were separated and you two have been apart even longer. That must suck so of course we can visit her!” Nami relaxed with an exhausted smile, “I should’ve known you’d be fine with it. Guess I was worried for no real reason.”

  


Luffy gained a slightly confused look, “Why wouldn’t I be fine with it? Vivi’s awesome and you can be mates with whoever you want. Shishishishi, that’s the best part of being pirates. We can do whatever we want.” Nami let out a weak chuckle. She let her hands drop to her sides. Relief flowed through her at the fact that she wouldn’t be judge for her interest in women. Then again, no one on the crew really gave any indication that it would be a problem. Still, Nami wasn’t one for taking risks herself when the result was so uncertain. She chuckled again, “Yeah, we can do anything we want…I’ve missed her so much.” Vivi was a beta too which brought some comfort and predictability to their relationship.

  


Heats and ruts made Nami’s head spin with anxiety. Especially now after seeing just how volatile both Luffy and Zoro got when the other was going through their mating cycle. Vivi was stable, passionate, and so sweet. So gentle to someone like Nami who had only been treated harshly after Belle-Mère passed away. Her attention was drawn back when loud chuckles cut through her thoughts. Was she seeing things or did Luffy actually have a soft flush on his face? The omega’s hat ended up slipping off as he ran a hand through his hair, “You being so mushy with Vivi helped me figure out how I felt about Zoro.” Well, that was a bit unexpected. Nami felt her own face flush, “I, we were not mushy together!” Luffy just laughed in response.

  


The pair ended up spending a good part of the night going back and forth about their respective partners. Poking fun at each other’s silly actions, complimenting all their partner’s good points, and laughing about sweet moments. It was easy to be honest with Luffy. Nami had to make a conscious effort to not spill everything that came to mind. There was something about how genuine and reliable the captain was that made you feel safe enough to blab about whatever was on your mind to him. Luffy just smiling gave off a feeling that everything would be okay no matter what happens. The moon was high in the sky when Zoro suddenly came into the room. He gave Nami a brief look, “Feelin’ better?”

  


Nami nodded before she got up from the nest, “Yeah, I think I’ll head to bed now. Goodnight, guys.” She couldn’t help lingering a bit to see if she could notice some of the things Luffy had pointed out to her earlier. Sure enough, Zoro ran the palm of his hand to brush away dark bangs to press a kiss to his mate’s forehead. According to Luffy, that was a signal that Zoro wanted him to do something like go to bed soon. Nami turned away with a soft smile when the alpha gave in to some soft whining and picked up his mate in his arms. Another flash of longing pierced her chest. Those two were rather lucky that they could be together almost all the time. Rather lucky indeed.


	2. Care Target: Usopp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcanon: Usopp has generalized anxiety disorder  
> Based off my own experiences with having GAD

Usopp was a bit more willing to trust. He was always leaning on other crewmates for support and generally got along with everyone. The beta sniper was one of the only people willing to let Luffy scent mark him or even get super physical with him. While Zoro was Luffy’s mate, Usopp was like his best guy friend. Nami took the place of best lady friend as Robin acted more as a mother to everyone while Nami was more like a sister. Luffy enjoyed Usopp’s company, but he couldn’t deny that the sniper sometimes radiated anxious energy. A lot of things set off Usopp’s anxiety. Sometimes peace set him off. It was strange to see for some people. A few even got stressed out like Chopper due to absorbing the anxious energy themselves.

  


Normally, Luffy didn’t do anything to soothe the anxiety. He had faith that his sniper could handle himself. There were some days though where Usopp really struggled with his anxiety. Where it felt like danger was everywhere. Days where it felt like something was off, yet nothing happens. Usopp varied on whether or not he went to someone for help. If he did, Usopp would go to Luffy. His captain had an oddly grounding quality. It felt like things would be okay if Luffy was around. The creation of the pack nest was something Usopp took advantage of the most. It had the familiar smells of every crewmate and had less unspoken rules than personal nests. It wasn’t an odd sight to find the sniper curled up in the pack nest making plans for a new invention.

  


What was rarer to see was a frantic Usopp being gently guided to the pack nest by a calm Luffy. Today was a fairly peaceful day after being run out of a town. Nothing bad was on the horizon. The sea was calm, the sky was clear, and all of the crew sat strewn around different areas of the deck. Regardless of the peace, Usopp felt far from calm. A heavy sense of dread was crawling up his spine. He was mindlessly scratching at his skin to soothe imaginary itches. His breathing was becoming increasingly shallow. Sweat dripped down his face as Usopp gulped in air. His chest was tight. What was he scared of? He wasn’t sure. Something’s wrong. Something bad was going to happen. He needed to run, run, run, run—Usopp jumped as a hand settled on his shoulder.

  


He whipped around to look up at who was touching him. Luffy was there with his usual easygoing smile, “Hey, Usopp, come help me remake the pack nest.” The sniper didn’t protest as he was tugged away to the aquarium bar. His skin was still crawling as if bugs had burrowed underneath his flesh. Everything was too much. Lights, sounds, even the texture of Luffy’s rubbery skin were making his stomach sick. Usopp wasn’t entirely sure when he was laid down in the nest, but the next thing he knew he had his face shoved in the crook of a warm neck. He automatically sniffed, honied meat and sea salt, and realized that it was Luffy’s neck he had been shoved into. A hand rubbed up and down his spine. Luffy gave his body a squeeze, “It’s ok, Usopp. I’ll keep ya’ safe!”

  


Tears welled up in the sniper’s eyes. He softly cried against his captain’s shoulder as warm arms encircled him. Luffy rubbed their heads together, “Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you about that time me and Zoro fought Axehand Morgan. Wow, that was a looooong time ago now.” Usopp quietly listened to Luffy ramble on about some weird Marine who tried to kill Zoro and how his captain first found the first mate. The tension in his body slowly released. He felt Luffy’s chest rumble with every word and laugh. A soothing scent was being released from the omega’s scent glands that helped soothe his anxiety. The cheery voice rang in his ears. Usopp let out a soft hum as he clung more tightly to Luffy. As the anxiety left, exhaustion replaced it.

  


Luffy paused when he realized that Usopp had fallen asleep. He smiled and gave a quiet giggle before clinging tighter. He glanced up at the sound of clicks. Chopper peered over the nest with a concerned look, “Is Usopp alright?” Luffy stretched his arm out and pulled the reindeer to him, “He’ll be fine. I got him.” Chopper looked down, looked at Usopp, and wriggled in between the two men, “I’m gonna stay here too.” Luffy laughed, “Nice to have ya’ Chopper.” The shared warmth increased with Chopper’s body heat. Both pirates ended up falling asleep too after laying down for a while. Usopp blinked his eyes open when something nudged his shoulder. He looked over to see Sanji carefully poking him with his foot. The alpha put his leg down once he had eyes on him.

  


“It’s time for dinner. You guys slept through lunch.” You guys? Usopp looked forward. He saw Luffy and Chopper peacefully sleeping next to him. That explained where the warmth was coming from. The sniper shifted around, but he couldn’t move. Rubbery arms were locking him in place. Usopp looked back at the cook, “Uhh…I need some help.” Sanji hummed as he reached out one hand. Swiftly, he grabbed Chopper by one of his antlers and scooped the reindeer up. Tucking the groggy doctor under one arm, Sanji extended his other arm to help tug Usopp out of Luffy’s grasp. The omega furrowed his eyebrows with a frown as his eyes slowly blinked open. His hands flexed as he tried to grasp onto the bodies that were previously keeping him warm, “Saaaaanjiiiii, why’d you do that?”

  


Sanji smiled patiently down at their captain, “It’s time for dinner. C’mon, let’s go.” As expected, Luffy’s sleepiness fell away as he leapt up from the nest. He ran while screaming out ‘fooooooood!’. Chopper stared after Luffy with wide eyes, “Oh, it’s time for dinner already? I guess we slept for a while then.” Sanji started to walk towards the galley with a casual pace, “Yeah, I was going to wake you guys up, but Nami said to let you sleep. Oh yeah, Usopp,” The sniper paused, and he felt a bit of stress well up in his stomach, “Yeah? What?” Sanji looked back with an even gaze, “You’re welcome to come hang out with me in the galley if you’re feeling scared. You don’t only have to go to Luffy, you know.” Usopp let out a weak chuckle, “Yeah, but Luffy’s always the first one to drag me away.”

  


The cook puffed out a cloud of smoke, “That’s always how it seems to go. Luffy can almost sniff out someone’s distress. It’s bizarre.” Usopp nodded as they kept walking, “Yeah, but it makes him a pretty good captain.” Chopper was oddly quiet. He wasn’t even protesting being carried. Usopp looked down at the reindeer, “Hey, are you alright Chopper?” Chopper stared down at the ground, “Luffy knows when any of us are having a tough time and is there for us, but we never know when he’s having a tough time. Shouldn’t we be helping him like how he helps us?” Silence hung over the trio for a few moments. Sanji shook his head, “We can’t force him to tell us anything. All we can do is support Luffy one hundred percent…no matter what happens.” Usopp winced at the slightly pointed look. Chopper perked up, “Yeah! We’ll be there for Luffy no matter what.” Usopp took a deep breath in as his mind flashed to all the moments of support Luffy gave them, “No matter what.”


	3. Care Target: Sanji

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for Whole Cake Island  
> Speaking of, that arc hurt like hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mild language and implied child abuse

Sanj was about as difficult as Nami when it came to opening up about his issues. Not only did he tend to avoid men, but he was the only other alpha besides Zoro which meant he tended to stay away from Luffy unless he wanted a fight. Despite of how much the cook avoided or protested, Luffy treated him like the betas on the crew. To the captain, Sanji was still his packmate regardless of what dynamic he was. Luffy never bothered to discover exactly why Sanji was so fidgety about how the omega treated him. Instead, the answer came to the crew. Whole Cake Island had been a rough rescue mission. The cook almost reeked of insecurity now that he was back on the Sunny. He was also overeager to prove his worth to the group and was having nightmares.

  


Luffy was a bit uncertain about how to approach Sanji in that state. He normally didn’t approach Sanji about things, but he also couldn’t leave his cook like this. The captain took a chance the next time Sanji woke up from a nightmare and rushed away to the kitchen. Luffy had woken up about that same time from one of his injuries bothering him. He spotted the cook on the move and, without a second thought, jumped out of bed to follow him. It wasn’t intentional, but apparently Luffy had moved quietly enough that Sanji didn’t register his presence until the blonde turned around and saw the rubber man sitting at the table. Tears were threatening to fall out of a deep blue eye and thick blonde hair was messed up. The usual scent of smoke and spices was utterly sour with anxiety.

  


Sanji stared back at Luffy, “Oh…I didn’t notice you there, Luffy.” He quickly turned around and went back to washing dishes, “Do you need something, captain?” Luffy frowned, “Sanji…turn around.” Basic commands seemed to work best with both Sanji and Zoro. It took a bit of chipping away to get either man to talk about emotions. Luffy’s frown grew when he saw the tension in his friend’s body as the man slowly turned around. Sanji was holding a plate with shaking hands. His breathing stopped when Luffy got up and walked over. The omega moved slowly as he took the plate and placed it back in the sink before grabbing Sanji’s wrist. Luffy said nothing about how the cook flinched at the touch. He just led the other man until they were at the pack nest.

  


The captain let go and pointed to the nest, “Sit down.” Sanji stared at the fluffy blankets with apprehension. Luffy gained a bit of sternness to his voice, “Sanji, sit down.” The cook inhaled deeply, “Aye, captain.” He sat down in the nest as he felt his emotions trying to rise out of him again. His biological family’s cruel remarks still rang in his ears. That he was too soft, too weak, not good enough, an utterly worthless man. A scent hit his nose that made some of the weight ease off his chest. Luffy had sat down across from the cook and was releasing some calming pheromones. The rubber man twitched with a want to hug his crewmate, but Sanji was flighty about being touched. His voice came out oddly soft yet still with its rough undertone, “You had another nightmare. What’s going on, Sanji?”

  


That question was enough. With how unstable his emotions already were Sanji couldn’t help breaking down in tears. Luffy frowned at the way Sanji cupped a hand over his mouth to muffle any noises that came from his sobs. The omega shifted forward carefully and tugged the alpha cook closer to him. Sanji fell into the partial embrace limply. Luffy wrapped his arms around the other’s lithe frame and held him close. Hot tears soaked the exposed skin where bandages didn’t reach. It took a while before a pair of arms wrapped around the rubber man in return. Sanji spoke brokenly through his sobs, “W-why, why? Why did you, you come for, for someone like me?” Luffy pressed his cheek against his packmate’s head, “I wanted to. I need you on my ship.”

  


Sanji shook his head, “No…nobody needs me. Why would they throw me away if that weren’t true?” Luffy stuck out his tongue as he tried to come up with an answer a bit more advanced than because they were assholes. One hand started to mindlessly rub circles into the back of his cook. Luffy huffed out, “It’s ‘cause they couldn’t see how great you are. It’s their loss that they couldn’t. Everyone on the Sunny knows how great Sanji is. We all want you here with us.” An annoyed frown twitched onto the omega’s face when his friend clearly still didn’t believe his words. He tightened his grip, “Sanji remembers how we first met, right?” The cook nodded which wiped some of his tears against warm skin. Luffy pressed on, “And Sanji remembers how many cooks were at the Baratie, right?”

  


Sanji hesitated for a moment before nodding again. The captain nuzzled their heads together lightly, “I could’ve asked someone else to be my cook, but I wanted Sanji. I chose him specifically because I didn’t want anybody else. I went after Sanji because I didn’t want anyone else’s food. Because I need Sanji.” Luffy squeezed his crewmate with his usual strong grip, “Is Sanji trying to say I’m a liar?” It was oddly quick how fast Sanji shook his head in a negative response. His voice was rough from crying, “No…you wouldn’t lie about something like this.” It took a few gentle pushes and a blunt command before the captain could get his cook to look at his face. Luffy gave a bright smile, “So, why is Sanji worried? Everything’s gonna be fine.”

  


One wide blue eye stared at that blinding smile before more choked sobs rose in his chest. That damn smile that said he was going to be okay. Sanji let his face fall into one of his hands, “C-captain…” Luffy let out a soft hum with a head tilt. The cook lifted his head up with a vulnerable look in his eye, “I, I don’t ever want to leave the Sunny again. She, she’s my home. You guys are my family. Please, don’t let anyone take me away again.” Luffy’s smile widened, “I’ll always go after my crew if that does happen. I won’t let any of you guys go without a fight.” As he said the word ‘fight’, the rubber man smacked the lean muscles on his arm. He cut himself off with a mix of a cough and a wince.

  


The motion made his wounds sting. Sanji wiped his tears away as guilt roiled in his stomach. His captain got seriously hurt by going after him. He had to thank the other somehow. Sanji stood up from the nest, “Let me make you something to eat. You’ll need the energy to recover.” Luffy leapt up with his usual vigor, “Meat! I want meat!” This time, Sanji took a moment to lightly ruffle the other man’s hair, “Alright, alright. I got it.” They started to walk back to the galley when the cook spoke again, “You know mosshead is going to be up my ass about this, right?” Luffy shrugged with a sigh, “Yeah, Zoro worries about me too much.” Sanji gave a playful shove with one hand, “That’s because you don’t worry about yourself at all. You’re stressful to look after.”

  


Luffy looked at Sanji with that genuine smile, “I don’t worry ‘cause I know my crew will be there for me!” That level of trust brought out a smile from the alpha, “You’re damn right we will.” Some silence stretched between the two. Luffy was sitting at the table when Sanji’s voice regained his attention, “You know…you don’t just have to go to mosshead if you’re having problems.” The cook turned to look at the captain. Something unknown flashed in the omega’s eyes before they shut, “I don’t know what Sanji’s talking about.” Sanji huffed out a puff of smoke irritably before turning away. Looks like he wouldn’t be getting any kind of confession from his captain tonight. Still, something was bugging the younger man. Something was haunting the omega that only the first mate knew. Something Sanji was determined to figure out to be able to help out as much as that stupid mosshead did.


	4. Care Target: Chopper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lighting candles or lanterns is a way to honor the dead in some cultures.

Chopper was bad at hiding his feelings. Every one of the Straw Hats knew this. It wasn’t uncommon for the reindeer to seek out comfort from any of the crew that were close by. What was rare was Chopper hiding away and refusing to say what was wrong. He locked himself in the infirmary, refused to come out for anything, and wouldn’t respond to questions. Naturally, Luffy’s plan to get the reindeer’s attention was highly intense. Chopper was sitting despondent at his desk when a loud voice yelled at the door, “Chopper! I got a big cut on my hand and Nami yelled at me to go to you!” With a distressed squeak, the doctor rushed to door to open it. Sure enough, Luffy was holding one wrist with his other hand as blood from a gash across his palm dripped onto the floor.

  


The reindeer was quick to pull Luffy inside and attend to the wound. Chopper grumbled unhappily about how the rubber man even managed this. Meanwhile the captain stared down at his crewmate with a deep gaze. Something that the beta doctor picked up on after a few moments, “Luffy?” Luffy kept staring with that intense look in his eyes, “What’s bothering you, Chopper?” Chopper froze at the blunt question. A look of sadness passed over his face as he continued to clean the gash, “It’s…the anniversary of when Doctor died.” The omega captain frowned when tears built up in his friend’s eyes. Chopper had started to wrap the wound when his tears started to fall. He spoke through soft sniffles, “I, I, I miss Doctor so, so muuuch!” Luffy lifted his uninjured hand to gently rub the reindeer’s head.

  


A soft, sympathetic smile curled onto his face, “That’s ok. I miss Ace a lot sometimes too.” When the dressings were put on, he tugged the reindeer into his arms. Luffy pressed his cheek against Chopper’s head, “Why were you hiding?” Chopper pressed himself further into the warmth radiating off his captain, “I didn’t want to bother anyone. I don’t want to be a burden.” Luffy frowned and squeezed the beta, “You’re not a burden and you never will be.” He pulled back a bit to give a large smile to Chopper, “Chopper’s an amazing doctor. He takes care of all of us. We don’t mind taking care of him back!” More tears welled up in brown eyes that contrasted with the watery grin on the reindeer’s face. Chopper shoved his face into soft red fabric and shook his head, “H-hey, complimenting me into feeling better won’t work, you asshole.”

  


Luffy chuckled as he squeezed Chopper again, “Feelin’ better?” Chopper nodded as he pulled away from the hug to look up at his captain, “Yeah, thanks Luffy.” The omega hummed as he gained that look on his face that meant he was coming up with a scheme. The doctor slowly became more apprehensive the longer it took for Luffy to say his idea. His face shifted to a bright happy one as he smacked his legs with his hands, “Hey! We should do something to remember people we lost like light lanterns or something!” Chopper relaxed when it became clear that the idea likely wouldn’t end up hurting someone. In fact, it sounded pretty nice. The reindeer smiled back, “Yeah, let’s ask Franky or Usopp.” Luffy leapt off the cot and swung the door open before racing out with loud laughter. Chopper followed his lead with his own laughter bubbling out of him.

  


Sanji was setting down drinks for Nami and Robin when boisterous laughter rang across the ship. His lips quirked into a half-smile, “Sounds like Luffy did it again.” Nami sighed in relief, “I’m glad. Chopper looked so sad.” Robin took a sip of her drink, “Our dear captain has quite an ability to cheer up others.” Zoro glanced down from where he sat against the railing. He didn’t say anything, but the fond expression that crossed over his face said enough. The four watched Luffy and Chopper talk excitedly to Usopp and Franky who both seemed to agree with whatever they were saying. Cheers reached the upper level of the Sunny as Brook was roped into their plan too. Zoro closed his eye once he was sure that both his mate and Chopper were doing fine.

  


Robin called out from where she was relaxing, “I’m glad to see you out again, Chopper.” Chopper waved up at the archeologist, “Hey, Robin! We’re gonna make and light lanterns tonight!” She rested her cheek against one hand, “Sounds fun! Be careful when you light them!” Luffy waved one hand enthusiastically, “We will!” At that, Zoro promptly stood up and went down to the lower deck. Fire and Luffy were a very dangerous combination unless carefully watched. The swordsman approached the two that were vibrating with excitement, “C’mon, let’s go take a nap.” He got two pouting faces in return, so he added, “The lanterns won’t be ready for a couple of hours. Taking a nap will pass the time.” Zoro took the two deflating as a sign of acceptance. He had to tug them along initially, but Luffy ended up running ahead to alter the pack nest again.

  


The omega was oddly picky about how a nest had to be. Which meant that he would relentlessly work to make it as comfy as possible before anyone stepped into the pack nest. Zoro and Chopper came in as Luffy was fluffing up some pillows. Eager hands stretched out to yank the non-omegas into the nest. Chopper squeaked in fear while Zoro just sighed. It was impossible to escape the death grip and the pair had to allow themselves to have their faces smacked into the soft padding of the nest. Zoro just turned onto his side as Luffy wiggled around until he was also on his side with Chopper laying in the middle. The swordsman reached out and wrapped one arm around his omega and tugged him closer. Chopper couldn’t help the content hum he let out from the warmth surrounding him. It made him so sleepy. He could just rest his eyes for a moment.

  


Chopper wasn’t sure when he fell asleep, but he knew from the scent that Usopp was the one shaking his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see the sniper smiling down at him. Zoro and Luffy were already gone. The reindeer shifted until he was sitting, “Where is everyone?” Usopp stood up, “They’re on the deck already. We decided to let you sleep for a bit longer. You looked like you needed it.” Chopper nodded and crawled out of the nest, “Is it time yet?” Usopp nodded as he turned to head out, “Yeah, let’s go light some lanterns!” Chopper ran out eagerly to see everyone holding one lantern in their hand. Franky handed the reindeer one, “Here ya’ go, little bro.” Usopp picked up his own lantern, “Alright, everyone ready?”

  


Sanji huffed out some smoke, “I only have so many matches, so do it right the first time. Got it, mosshead?” Zoro just sneered back before turning to help Luffy light his lantern. The soft glow of the flames added an orange tone to everyone’s face. Luffy walked over to the edge of the ship and let his lantern go. He softly mumbled out ‘Ace’ as he let it go. Zoro went to his side and let his lantern go after putting a comforting hand on his mate’s lower back. He thought about Kuina as he let it go. Nami went next with a soft mumble of Belle-mere. Sanji and Usopp thought about their mothers when they went. Robin thought about all of the residents of Ohara as she let her lantern go. Franky thought about Tom and Brook thought about his former crewmates.

  


All the Straw Hats watched the lanterns dance across the water as they floated away. Chopper hugged Luffy’s leg, “This was nice.” Luffy reached down to pat the other’s head. His voice was oddly soft, “Yeah, it was.” Zoro gave his mate a quick squeeze in a side-hug. The reindeer looked up at his captain with bright eyes and a big smile, “You’re a great captain even if you’re silly most of the time.” Some emotion flashed through Luffy’s eyes, but it vanished too fast for Chopper to pin down what. The smile on Luffy’s face seemed a bit more strained, “Thanks, Chopper! You guys are great too! No, the best! The best crew ever!” That caused a series of blushes and talk of it not being such a big deal. Only Zoro was not taken in by the flattery as he stared at his captain with worry in his eye.


End file.
